Knee and Back Injury Causing RSD

I injured both knees and my back- slipped on ice while performing my job 01/04. How do I setteled this claim. I had surgery on my left knee and it was not pleasant. My right knee is worse than my left at this point. My knees and back are getting worse by the day. The last suggestion was synuise shots to my left knee- 3 injections and facet shots to my back l3-4, 4t and s1. I am a little creeped out by shots and afraid of needles and more surgery. The doctor told me that I needed them to buy time before I should consider knee replacement surgery. I am only 41 years old and never had knee problems before. This is my first work related injury. I have developed hypension and found out recently that I have 4 leaky valves by a echo. My lawyer dropped me because he said I was a first class to much maintenance client and slam the phone in my ear. Still waiting for my records from him. I just discovered that most of my bills have not been paid, go figure when your laying up being a patient. I just had a FCE which was ordered by the court and I am awaiting the results. I have applied for social security and awaiting their answer. I take several medications. I am still under the doctor care and have had several IMEs&#39;appointed by the insurer.

Questions:

-What should I do about my knees and back? More surgery or the shots? I am a little creeped out by needles. i had developed RSD in my left knee back in 12/04 and had sympathetic blocks to calm everything down. 8 shots to be exact, it was caught in time and everything seem to be fine with an occassional flare up. However, no doctor want to touch my knees after I tell them my work related history.
-Should I attempt to settle this claim unrepresented?
-Am I obligated to get another IME unrepresented? What is the process and procedure with an unrepresented claimant?
-What should I expect after taking an orderd FCE exam?
-How do I make sure all of my medical bills are paid?
-Is there a manual out there that I can read in addition to this website about the rights and rules for unrepresented claimants.

Medications: Neurontin, Diovan HCT, Percocet PRN and Elival. Occassionally was taking Avinza but just ran out. I need to find out what is causing my pain in my back. My knees I am aware of, they are basically shot and injured. I am hoping that in the next five years some new technology come out and take care of the stilts. MY doctors word in a manner of speaking! NO pun intended. Thank you folks for your honest to goodness advice!

Please respond with information that I can use and benefit from as an injured worker. I have posted in the past and received very little information about my FCE question. I value some of the information from this site and have used the information during my entire worked related injury journey. Thank you in advance!

First if you have RSD you don&#39;t need to be attempting this without an att. Future medical will be extremely high. RSD might be a lot of your back and knee problem now. It doesn&#39;t go away, it may subside but always can flare back up in a given incident. There is not a cure as of yet and it can and does spread. Look for another att, and make sure you get a life care plan before you settle, WC has many tricks up their sleeves and will use them to get you to settle especially if they know they are settling an RSD case due to them knowing the medical expense they are facing for the future.

Each state has different laws about settlements and medical exams. If you are going to represent yourself you should visit your states website and get as much information as you can. They usually have forms and contact information.

Anymore advice from someone out there experiencing the concerns I have above. I have visit my state website and research enough information to write my own book on the topic. Any other advice would be helpful

Have you tried calling your state WC office with some of the above questions? Prior to representation I called frequently and was told the nitty gritty...like how long WC had to pay this or that. If your WC approved DR. authorized the treatment, and they are not paying, they can provide you with the neccesary forms to submit to WC court to get a judge to order it. Once a judge becomes involved they don&#39;t play the games as much...still abit but not as much.

I have seen where several posters have had many FCE&#39;s throughtout their experience with WC. For me it was ordered at the end of my TTD; when I was ready to be put on permanent partial disability. It said what I could and couldn&#39;t do at a job. For me it wiped out my livelyhood of many years but I was supposed to go out and seek a position that fell within the FCE guidelines. If the job pays less the PPD is supposed to offset the difference; up to your state maximum weekly payment at the time of your injury.

I have called the WC and they are kind enough to answer my questions. I have had to go to court on several occassions and had my TTD ordered paid by a judge. I was wondering from other posters what have they experience out there in the land of WC and the claimant concerning how a FCE is adhered to by the insurer. I am being sent for an IME at this point as well.